The Ghost of Christmas Past
by Wannon
Summary: Wannon: *YAOI - and extreme sappiness and OOC-ness {Cloud/Zack, Cloud/Vincent}* Cloud looks back on his past and mourns those he's lost...but learns to cherish what he has... Please Review ^_^


This fanfic was written for Smeegee-san…cos she requested it.

It contains yaoi, of course, and is a Final Fantasy VII fanfic.

Hope you like this, Smee-chan…or I'll kick your ass! Heh, heh, heh.

* Sigh * Here's Wannon-chan's word of advice for today;

Never play leapfrog with a reindeer.(Or a Stantler…ah, Pokémon)

Uh…hmmm.Okay, I'll start now.

~ Wannon-chan ~

There is **yaoi** in this.And also OOC-ness and A LOT of sappiness.

## The Ghost of Christmas Past

**Cloud stared into his drink, as the rest of his friends milled around the Shinra Mansion, laughing and talking.The entire Shinra Mansion had been renovated for their Christmas party, and now cheery Christmas decorations were hung everywhere.**

**Tifa appeared beside him, brandishing a sprig of mistletoe.**

**"Merry Christmas, Cloud!" she exclaimed, pecking him on the cheek.Cloud managed to smile at her.**

**"Merry Christmas, Tifa…" he replied, kissing her back.She giggled, and skipped off happily.**

**_I'm glad she's happy…He thought.__She deserves to be._**

**Cloud glanced up at the quiet figure that had sat beside him.**

**"Hi Vincent…" Cloud said quietly.His lover gave him a worried look.**

**"…Cloud, you seem troubled.It is Christmas, a supposed happy time.Why is it that you are so upset?" he asked gently, touching Cloud's arm.Cloud began to cry quietly, tears slipping down his face without a sound.Vincent's eyes widened, and he embraced Cloud, whispering soothing words.**

**"Vincent…I miss Zack.I know I'm with you now, and I should have forgotten all about him, and should be getting on with my life…but I just can't.It's the same every Christmas…this hollow feeling appears" he whispered.Vincent let go of Cloud suddenly and looked at him seriously.**

**"Cloud…I know how you feel.Lucrecia and I were the same as Zack and yourself…I feel the same emptiness each Christmas, too.I find that if I remember the happy times Lucrecia and I had, and think of the good times I will soon share with you, I don't feel so empty…" Vincent said sincerely.Cloud sniffled.**

**"Really? You think it'll work for me?" he asked.Vincent shrugged.**

**"…I'm not sure, my love.But it can't hurt to try" he said, standing up.**

**"Thankyou Vincent…" Cloud said, standing up and kissing the dark-haired man softly.Vincent smiled, and went to talk to Nanaki.Cloud sat back down, and stared once more into his untouched drink, watching the ripples wash against the side of the glass.He felt an extreme coldness, and when he looked up again, he was staring at the ghostly form of Zack.Everyone else around him was standing perfectly still, some frozen in mid-laugh.**

**"…Zack…" Cloud whispered."I can't believe you're here…"**

**Zack smiled.**

**"Hey Cloud.I've missed ya…" he said.Cloud sniffled.**

**"I've missed you too…" he said softly.Zack looked over at the frozen form of Vincent.**

**"He'd better be treating you right, Cloud…if he even lifts one finger to hurt you, I swear I'll kill him…" Zack murmured angrily.Cloud smiled.**

**"Same old Zack…don't worry, he's treating me just fine…" he said.Zack looked back at his erstwhile lover.**

**"I guess you're wondering why I'm here, right?" he asked.Cloud shrugged.**

**"I guess…kind of" he replied.Zack struck a pose.**

**"You're looking at the ghost of Christmas past! Sexy, huh?" he exclaimed.Cloud snorted.**

**"I never thought I'd admit this, but I've missed that ego of yours…" he said.Zack laughed.**

**"Guess why I'm here" he commanded.Cloud looked thoughtful.**

**"Let's see…the ghost of Christmas past…is here to…show me our Christmas in the past…right?" he asked quietly.Zack nodded proudly.**

**"Yup! You guessed it, Cloudie-baby…a trip down memory lane" he said, taking Cloud's hand.The room blurred, and Cloud found himself in his home of five or six years ago…**

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**~ * ~**

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**"Zack…this…oh, man" Cloud whispered.He looked around his dorm room of the SOLDIER training barracks.He saw a younger version of himself sitting on the bed…about fifteen or sixteen years of age.A younger Zack entered with a smile.**

**"Just watch and remember, Cloud…I don't ever want you to forget this day.This is one of my most precious memories of us both…it would kill me if you forgot" Zack whispered into Cloud's ear.Cloud nodded, and they continued to hover above the younger versions of themselves in complete silence.**

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**~ * ~**

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**_"Hey Cloudie-baby…Merry Christmas!" Past-Zack exclaimed, leaping on his younger lover.Past-Cloud squeaked in surprise, and giggled as he was tickled mercilessly._**

**_"Z-Zack! S-stop it!" he snorted.Past-Zack grinned._**

**_"Aww, do ya hafta spoil all my fun?!" he joked, nuzzling the smaller boy's neck.Past-Cloud gasped as Zack placed perfect kisses up his neck._**

**_"W-well…n-not all your fun…" Cloud stuttered.Zack sat up suddenly, making Cloud whimper._**

**_"I got you something…" Zack said.__"Wait here…"_**

**He rushed out of the room, only to return a few moments later, a brightly wrapped gift in his hand.Cloud smiled at Zack, tears forming in his eyes as he was handed the gift.**

**_"Zack…I thought we agreed…no presents.I…" he began.Zack placed a finger over his lips._**

**_"Just shutup and open it, Cloud" Zack commanded.Cloud obliged, with trembling fingers.He drew a sharp breath at what he saw._**

**_"Oh my god…Zack…" he whispered, and began to cry._**

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**~ * ~**

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**Zack looked over at Cloud, who was watching the scene below silently, except for the occasional heave of his shoulders.**

**"Cloud…are you crying?" he asked.The blonde looked at his former lover, tears trickling down his face.**

**"Yes…" he replied."I…it just gets to me still, that's all.It was the most thoughtful thing you had ever done…"**

**Zack smiled, taking his hand and kissing it gently.**

**"I was in love, Cloud…and I'll always love you, remember that" he said.Cloud smiled through his tears.**

**"I won't ever forget, I promise…" he said, and the two resumed their reminiscing.**

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**~ * ~**

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**Zack lifted the two items from the shiny paper.**

**_"Hush…please, don't cry…Cloud, I spent a lot of time thinking about this gift…" he said.Cloud sniffled, and hugged Zack tightly._**

**_"It's the nicest thing anyone has ever given me, Zack…" he said.Zack smiled, prying the sobbing boy off him._**

**_"I want to see what it looks like on you…see, I got two of them, one for you and one for me" Zack explained.He undid the clasp on the thick silver chain, and put it around his lover's neck.Cloud fingered the chain, and the ring looped around it._**

**_"Hey…you got it engraved… 'This ring is a symbol of my love for you'…oh, Zack…" Cloud whispered, and began to cry again.Zack seemed flustered at the overactive tear ducts of his lover._**

**_"Cloud, stop crying, please…you're supposed to be happy!" Zack said.The little blonde nodded._**

**_"I am happy, Zack, very happy! Here, I wanna put your chain on you" Cloud said, and did so, noticing that Zack's ring wasn't engraved._**

**_"Wait…give me the ring…" Cloud said.Zack looked puzzled._**

**_"Okay…but why?" he asked.Cloud blushed._**

**_"Because there's nothing on your ring…I want to get it engraved for you" he said.Zack smiled, and handed the ring over._**

**_"Sure" he replied, hugging Cloud.__"This has got to be the best Christmas ever, huh, Baby?" Zack asked.Cloud kissed Zack softly._**

**_"Definitely…but there's only one thing that could make it better…" He said, blushing._**

**_"Oh, I get it…frisky little thing, aren't you?" he teased, kissing Cloud hard, and lowering him back onto the bed._**

**_"I learned from the best…" Cloud replied breathlessly._**

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**~ * ~**

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**Zack giggled from above the bed.**

**"You really were a frisky little thing back then, Cloud" he laughed.Cloud blushed.**

**"You were such a tease…I was constantly having to beg with you" he said.**

**"Heh…man…I loved it when you did that" Zack said, a gleam in his eyes. Cloud grinned.**

**"Zack, thankyou so much…for everything" he said.Zack sighed.**

**"No problem…I enjoyed every second I was with you" he said.Cloud felt tears threatening to spill, and blinked them back._I've been doing too much crying lately…he told himself.He changed the subject._**

**"I still have it…" he said.Zack looked puzzled.**

**"Have what?" he queried.Cloud reached into his shirt, and drew out the chain, the ring still attached.**

**"This…" he said.Zack smiled, reaching into his own shirt, and bringing out his matching chain and ring.**

**"I still got mine, too" he said, reading the engraving out loud." 'I'll love you forever'…Heh, yeah.Until I went and died on you, that is.I hate myself so much for leaving you alone like that, Cloud…"**

**"Don't say that, Zack…what's done is done, and although I'd be the first to say that I wish things could have been different, there's no way to change it" Cloud said.Zack sighed again.**

**"I guess you're right.Besides…you've found someone else now…what does he think of you still wearing that ring?" he asked.Cloud frowned.**

**"He…I think it upsets him, but he never says anything…he's just letting me let go in my own time…" he said.Zack's large hand fell on Cloud's shoulder.**

**"Cloud…it's time for you to let go of me.As much as it hurts me to admit it, I'm never coming back.You need to get on with your new life, learn to love Vincent as much as you did me, and be happy" he said.Cloud tried to hold back his tears, but they squeezed past the defenses, and spilled down his cheeks.**

**"I…I don't think I can, Zack.You…you still love me, and I know it hurts you to see me with someone else…I don't wanna hurt you, Zack" he said sadly.Zack became angry.**

**"Cloud, stop that! I'm dead, and that's all there is to it! Now do as I say!…do it for me" he snapped.Cloud looked up at him with wide eyes._He's never snapped at me like that before…he must be really serious…Cloud mused._**

**"Okay Zack…I'll do it for you" he said.Zack smiled.**

**"Thankyou…" he said."Time to go back"**

**Cloud nodded sadly, taking Zack's hand again.The room blurred again, and Cloud was back in the Shinra Mansion.He looked at Zack.**

**"Are you going to leave now?" he asked sadly.Zack nodded.**

**"'Fraid so, Cloud.Remember what I said, okay?" he said.Cloud nodded.**

**"There's one thing I want to do before you go…" he said.Zack nodded, gesturing for him to continue.Cloud moved forward and kissed Zack softly, then broke away.**

**"Why…why'd you do that?" Zack asked.Cloud smiled.**

**"I never had a chance to kiss you goodbye before you died…" he said.Zack smiled.**

**"Goodbye Cloud…and thankyou" he said.**

**"I'll never forget…" Cloud called, as Zack disappeared.The room suddenly sprung back into life, and Cloud felt a warm feeling of happiness spread across him.He walked over to where Vincent was conversing with Nanaki, a large smile adorning his face.**

**"…Cloud, you seem happier" he said.Cloud pulled him into a deep kiss, and Nanaki excused himself.Vincent's crimson eyes were wide when Cloud finally broke the liplock.**

**"I feel much happier, my love…I think it's time I remove this" he said, reaching into his shirt and unclasping the chain.Vincent's face lit up.**

**"…That means…" he began.**

**"Yes, I've finally let go…I love you, Vincent…Merry Christmas" he said, embracing the taller man.Vincent wept quietly into his hair.**

**"I love you too, Cloud…this is one of the best Christmases I have ever had" he said.Cloud giggled.**

**"I'm glad" he replied.**

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**~ * ~**

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**The party was over a few hours later, and everyone went their separate ways, saying their good-byes.Cloud and Vincent arrived back at Cloud's villa in Costa Del Sol the next morning, and Cloud placed the necklace in a box filled with other mementos.He looked up at the ceiling and smiled.**

# Thankyou so much, Zack…you've taught me how to love again…

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**The End**

WAAGH! 'Twas a Vinnie & Cloud fic!!

Hmm…they're actually quite cute together! Sorry Smee-chan, I know you like Cid and Vincent better.

Hope you liked it…it went much sappier than I originally planned…no good.

It's also kinda short. Can't believe I did this entire thing in…three and a half hours! AYAH!!! I haven't had breakfast yet and it's… 11:25 am.Yes, I started this at about 8:00 am…boy am I tired.

You are in your French exam…Bonne chance! (I'm sure you'll ace it)

~ Wannon-chan ~


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